Large Areas Prepare for More Flooding

Parts of the South and Midwest, still reeling from violent storms, tornadoes, and flooding that have killed more than a dozen people, are facing new flooding and tornado warnings that forecasters said could last for days. Severe thunderstorms have swept through a swath of the country with a population of 2.3 million from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southeast Missouri, the AP reports:

• The toll: In Kentucky, more than 500 roads were closed by Sunday because of flooding and mudslides. Two people were killed, including a 9-year-old boy swept away as he walked to a school bus stop. The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky—a city of 31,000—was submerged. The first wave of storms killed at least five people in Tennessee and one each in Missouri and Indiana on Wednesday and Thursday. Gov. Bill Lee called the devastation in Tennessee "enormous" and said it was too early to know whether there were more deaths as searches continued. In Lake City, Arkansas, homes were flattened, and cars were flipped and tossed into trees.
• Tornado warnings: More than 300 were issued by the National Weather Service since the outbreak began early Wednesday, and new warnings followed overnight in Alabama and Mississippi, along with flash flood warnings in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The number of tornado warnings eclipsed those issued during last month's deadly outbreak. It was too early to know how many tornadoes were actually produced by the current outbreak.

• Impact on travel: Hundreds of flights have been canceled and more than 6,400 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.com, which reported 74 cancellations and 478 delays of US flights early Sunday.
• The cause: Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm weather, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. The prolonged deluge, which could dump more than a foot of rain over a four-day period, "is an event that happens once in a generation to once in a lifetime," the National Weather Service said.
• What's ahead: AccuWeather said northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and northwestern Tennessee need to prepare for a catastrophic risk from flash flooding. "This is a rare and dangerous atmospheric setup," said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist. Forecasters have also warned of major disruptions to shipping and supply chains. FedEx, for example, has a massive facility in the danger area, in Memphis. Barge transportation on the lower Mississippi River could be affected. Water rescue teams and sandbags were being set up across the region, and authorities warned people to take the threat of rising water seriously and to not drive through water. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said flooding had reached record levels in many communities. "Kentuckians and communities have been affected across the state, and teams are working around the clock to support them," he posted Sunday on X. (National Weather Service forecast offices are seriously understaffed after Trump administration cuts.)